Silver Line's first leg to open July 26

The long-awaited first leg of Washington, D.C.’s new Silver Line will open to paying customers in just over a month.

But riders will have to wait a few more years before being able to ride the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s newest Metrorail expansion all the way to Dulles International Airport.

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Metro General Manager Richard Sarles said the new Silver Line will open July 26 at noon. He described the date as a “firm target for opening,” though he later added that there was an “unlikely possibility that something could pop up between now and then” to delay the date.

The first leg of the new subway line faced a number of construction delays and problems that pushed back the opening by half a year. Sarles estimated that Metro has lost $2-3 million every month since the initial opening target of January 2014 wasn’t met.

The first Silver Line train will depart the Wiehle-Reston East station heading for Largo Town Center at noon, Sarles said. Metro will also hold an inaugural event to mark the opening of the five new stations.

Metro took over the project — which was managed by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and built by contractors — in late May. The first leg includes five stops (McLean, Tysons Corner, Greensboro, Spring Hill and Wiehle-Reston East) over 11.7 miles.

The second phase, which stretches 11 miles and features six stops including Dulles Airport, has a projected opening of 2018.

Simulated service starts July 20. For that week before revenue service starts, Silver Line trains will be running throughout the entire Metro system, but riders will not be able to take trains to the new stations. Riders heading west on the Silver Line, for example, will have to get off at East Falls Church before the train diverts to the new stations.